Log carrying barge



March 21, 1933. W. .1. MoLoNEY LOG CARRYING BARGE Filed Nov. 5, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheetl l n k` kl. n

BY .www

@ATTORNEY March 21, 1933. W. J. MOLONEY LOG CARRYING BARGE 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 5, 1931 LQOLST? Mlch 2l, W. J. MOLONEY LQG CARRYING BARGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov.

ENTOR Patented Mar. 21, 1933 PAT-ENT -osFF1cE WILL-AM -T- .ML0NEY, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Locr cARRYmG reiter.

Applicationled November 5,1331. Serial No.-5,''3=,189.

'15 ceive and dischargel the cargo therefrom.

A `further, object of this invention l. is. the provision otmeans for sinking or submerginA-glthehullinrthe Water at desired dept is to permit floating ,logs ,or :the like ,to be guidedV therein .and stacked one :upon the other until the cargo space is filled kand ythe hull then raised or floated to its normal draft, whereby the-barge may proceed to its destination. i

Affur her V,object of this finventionis the provision of means, Whereby the hull may be submerged for the purpose of* unloading thelogs or-fthelikeinto thebody of water. and duringfthe unloadingoperationto be "3 gradullyyveised by'nCreaSng-,its buoyancy Yfor,permitting the-uppermost layer oflogs to be uuloadedxand the succeedinglayersof logs to be unloaded as the preceding layer of logs are'floated or moved -away :romthe barge.

A stillffurther object of this invention is therprovision of a log carrying barge of the above I stated character which will be simple, durableand efficient and-Which may bev'manufacturedf and sold at a comparatively low cost. i

WVith these and other objects in viewr this invention consists in certainrnovel features of construction, combinationand arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully describedand claimed.

l:For a complete understanding ot rny5in-v ventioinreterence-is to be had to thetollowing description `and accompanying draw- 5,0 ings, in which:

:Figure .lis a top plan-view illustrating -a vessel or barge constructed in accordance with l my invention.

-Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating .5:5 the same.

T@Figure v3 isa sectionalviewtaken on th line v3 4?) ofFigurel.

Y Figure ais avsectional view taken.on; t he line ,K4-4 of-Figure 1. no

Figure 5 isha krear elevation illustrating the stern of thevessel orbarge.

Figure 6 is ...a Atransverse sectional ,view talrenfon the; lineg 6--6 of Figure l.

lfigure 7 is a similar.viewillustnating the cargo y,space Yllled with layers v, ,of 4 logs `01:l the like and with J the hull inca a lSubstantially falle-submergedposition. Y

Referringin detail to the drawings, fthe Immer-al 1 indcates,the hull ,of agbargelor vesselhavng al flat l bottom 2, straight vsides 3,"a\bowv4; and a stern 5.

The bow et has the iront AWalls f thereof lllmng forwardly and upwardly i from (the bottom 2. Agtransverse partition v7 -isfarz5 arranged in thebow fiend cooperatesvwith the bottom 2 and sides4 3, informing a. cargo carrying space 8 that opens f outwardly through the stern iaiidnormally closedlby liingedgates or doors 19 provided -Witha "f suitable 4fastening means l0 Ifor -retaining them kin a closed position. I:The Afastening means'l() is-adapted to be manually operated when desiring to open` the gates orfdoors QJOI the rurroselof loading@ ,urleeidiilg thegcargo space. `It is to be understood that the Y, gates or doorsrswing outwardly and when in a` clQSedtpositiom) theorcefof the Water thereagainst will aid in retaining 90 the gates or doors in a closed position. The gates are provided with drain valves 9.

The bottom 2 has formed therein a plurality of compartments or tanks 11 formed by a plurality of partitions cooperating with the bottom 2 and the bottom supporting wall 12 of the cargo space 8. The sides 3 are of hollow formation and divided by a plurality of partitions 13 to provide side tanks or compartments, the walls of which are strengthened by diagonally extending braces 14. The compartments 11 or the walls thereof are strengthened by diagonally extending braces 15. The upper portions of the sides, bow and stern are closed by a deck 16, leaving the cargo space 8 open at the upper end thereof.

By referring to Figures 4, 6 and 7 it will be noted that the compartments in the sides 3 extend the full length of the latter and are `arranged one above the other, providing meanswfor submerging the hull to desired depths by filling first the bottom compartments l5 and then the side compartments in the side walls.

The various compartments are each provided with a sea cock 17 having an operating medium 18 extending through the deck 16. Vent pipes 19 extend through the decks and communicate with the various compartments. Suction pipes 20 extend through the decks to the various compartments and are adapted for connectionv with a suitable pump located on the barge (and not shown). The suction pipes by being connected to the pump are adapted to draw water from the various tanks when desiring to raise the barge from a submerged position as shown in Figure 7 to a position of ordinary draft.

The bow 4: may have a "living compartment 21 arranged therein provided with a stairway 22'leading to a hatch 23 in the deck of the bow. rlhe stern and bow may be each provided with a towing post 24C.4

The side walls 0f the cargo carrying space 8 are provided with rows of eyes or like fasteners 25 to which anchoring elements 26 may be secured for thepurpose of `tying down logs in layers and one upon the other as shown in Figure 7 for the purpose of preventing shifting of the logs during transit. A ladder 27 may be arranged on the partition 7 at the closed vend of the cargo carryi ingspace 8 whereby a person may descend or ascend from the cargo space with ease. It is customary to receive logs, timbers or lumber from a saw mill by iioating them down streams until they reach bodies of l water that are navigable and to facilitate the-shipment of these logs `or timbers to foreign'points, my vessel or barge may be economically employed due to the ease in which the logs or timbers may be loaded therein or unloaded therefrom when desired without the employment' of hoist or similar apparatuses. To load the barge, the stern is arranged towards the fioating logs and the gates or doors 9 placed in an open position and the hull is then submerged to a suiiicient depth to permit the logs to be guided or floated into the cargo carrying space 8 and arranged in a layer as shown in Figure 6 and then tied down by anchoring elements 25. After the first layer has been tied down, the hull is again submerged to a greater depth permitting other logs to be iioated into the cargo space and arranged in a layer upon the preceding logs and then tied down by anchoring elements 26. This method of loading and submerging of the hull is continued until the cargo carrying space is filled as shown in Figure 7. The gates at the ends of the vessel are then closed and the valveswhich are situated in these gates are opened. The pump (not shown) is set in operation to extract the water from the various compartments permitting the buoyancy of the compartments to raise the hull of the vessel to its ordinary sea going draft. As the hull raises the water which is in and around the logs will flow by gravity through the open valves in the gates. When all the water has been emptied from the various compartments and the vessel has reached her sea going draft, these valves in the gates are then closed. After lthe cargo of logs have traveled to their destination and it is desired to unload them, the valves 9 are o ened, permitting water to enter the barge a out the -logs and the hull is sub# merged to a depth that permits the uppermost layer vof logs to float outwardly of the space 8 after the opening of the gates and the untying of the uppermost anchoring elements 26. As the uppermost layer of logs pass from the vessel, the pump is started in operation gradually raising the hull and the next layer 0f logs is released'and allowed to float outwardly of the hull. This operation is continued until all of the layers of logs have been removed.

Y While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A log carrier comprising a hull having one end opened and its opposite end permanently closed and provided with a log cargo chamber communicative with the opened end of said hull, a plurality of compartments arranged at the sides and under the cargo chamber within said hull, outwardly swinging gates for opening and closing the opened end of the hull to permit logs to be iioated into and out of said chamloo ber, and means to admit and exhaust Water to said compartments for causing partial submerging of the hull in the water and Heating thereof to its normal draft so that logs may be oated into and out of the chamber Without the use of hoisting means, and valves in said gates whereby water may be admitted to the cargo chamber for aiding in submerging the hull and to equalize the Water pressure on both sides of the gates and to drain Water from the cargo chamber after the raising of said hull.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM J. MOLON EY. 

